Padlock with laminated body and removable cylinder

ABSTRACT

A padlock with a laminated body and removable cylinder housed in said body and restrained therein by fixing means, comprising at least a plate housed in a recess in said laminated body adjacent the laminate defining the key insertion side, the said plate being movable to and fro a locking position.

United States Patent Errani et al.

Aug. 7, 1973 PADLOCK WITH LAMINATED BODY AND REMOVABLE CYLINDER Inventors: Deo Errani; Roberto Bucci, both of Faenza, Italy S.P.A.C.I.S.A. Costruzioni Italione Serrature Affini, Faenza, Italy Filed: Sept. 3, 1971 Appl. No.: 177,582

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data June l2, 1971 Italy 3449 A/71 US. Cl. 70/38 R, 70/370 Int. Cl E05b 67/24 Field of Search 70/38 R, 38 A, 38 B,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,246,472 11/1917 Salvatore 70/38 A 1,718,606 6/1929 Soref 70/38 C 2,352,190 6/1944 Foote et al." 70/38 C X 2,673,458 3/1954 Schlage 70/370 X 3,422,643 1/1969 Foote 70/38 B Primary ExaminerAlbert G. Craig, Jr. Attorney-Guido Modiano et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A padlock with a laminated body and removable cylinder housed in said body and restrained therein by fixing means, comprising at least a plate housed in a recess in said laminated body adjacent the laminate defining the key insertion side, the said plate being movable to and fro a locking position.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENIEDMIG H915 3.750.432.

INVENTORS DEO ER A ROBERTO BUCCI BY Q AGENT PADLOCK WITH LAMINATED BODY AND REMOVABLE CYLINDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a padlock with a laminated body and removable cylinder.

In padlocks with laminated bodies it is often necessary, for safety reasons, to be able to replace the existing cylinder with another having a different combination.

Various arrangements which allow the replacement of the cylinder or key plug are known. One of these for example is disclosed in the US Pat. No. 3,422,643 in which the cylinder is housed in a suitable cavity in the padlock body and held in position by a plate which lowerly restricts the opening through which the cylinder is introduced and is fixed in the last of the laminates which make up the padlock body. The plate is fixed by a screw accessible through the hold which is freed by the mobile end of the padlock shackle. This conventional arrangement gives rise to a substantial disadvantage in that the plate is accessible from the outside and can hence be removed relatively easily by lock breaking means. Padlocks of another type are also available (U.S. Pat. No. 2,489,484) which comprise an insert arranged inside the padlock body in which the key plug revolves, and a plate which restrains said insert and can slide laterally into a position of disengagement. However, in order to disengage the cylinder it is necessary to give it a particular conformation, in addition to the fact that especially shaped keys are necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a padlock of the aforementioned type, the structure of which is such as to permit easy replacement of the cylinder without prejudicing its reliability in the face of tampering.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a padlock with a laminated body, in which the cylinder is made removable without substantially modifying the structure of padlocks of conventional type.

These and other objects are attained by a padlock according to the invention having a laminated body and removable cylinder housed in a cavity in said body and restrained in said cavity by acting on fixing means accessible through the introduction hole for the opening end of padlock shackle, comprising at least one plate housed in a recess formed in at least one of said laminates adjacent to the laminate which forms the side for insertion of the key, said plate being movable from a position in which the cylinder is disengaged to a position in which it is restrained, and lockable in this latter position by acting on said fixing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better appear from the detailed description given hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional view of the padlock according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view along the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view along the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional view of the padlock according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view along the line Vl-VI of FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 shows another modification of the retaining plate for the cylinder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS cated by the reference numeral 5. Said end is provided with a notch which is hooked by a tooth 7 operated by means of a cylinder 8. It will be understood from the sectional views of FIGS. 2 and 3 that the cylinder 8 consists in conventional manner of a tubular portion 9 having a rigid expanded section 10 which contains the pivots which cooperate with the pivots disposed in the cylinder 11 rotable within the portion 9. The cylinder 8, which further comprises two opposed expanded sections 12 and 13, is housed in a cavity of the body 1 of like contour, in such a manner that the edge of the tubular portion 9 is located at the same level as the plane of contact between the third and fourth laminate counting from the end laminate 14.

The penultimate l5 and third ultimate l6 laminate of the body 1 have like shapes as seen in FIG. 2. They enclose a recess 17 which s'lidingly houses a plate 18 of thickness equal to that of the laminates l5 and 16 added together. The plate 18 is substantially in the form of a Y and can assume two positions. In the first, shown in FIGS. 1-3, its fork portion is superimposed on the expanded sections 10, I2, 13 and also partially on the edge of the tubular portion 9 so restraining the cylinder 8 in the inserted position. In the second, the leg portion of the plate 18 projects externally from the body I and allows the cylinder 8 to be withdrawn. In

order to lock the plate 18 in the position for restraining the cylinder 8, a bolt 19 is provided which passes through two of the laminates standing above the laminates l5, l6 and is screwed into a threaded bore in the leg portion 21 of the plate 18. The bolt 19 is accessible by way of the cylindrical cavity 5.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-6, two plates are used for locking the. cylinder. The first, 22, is slidingly housed in a recess 23 in the penultimate laminate 24, its thickness being equal to that of this latter and its form as that of the aforementioned plate 18. The second plate, 25, comprises a leg portion 26 to which an annular portion 27 is connected having an internal contour substantially as that of the section of the cylinder 1 8. The plate 25 is housed in a recess 28 in the third ultimate laminate 29 and has its leg 26 on the same side as the leg 30 of the plate 22, because of which by fixing the the plates 22 and 25 in the positions shown in FIGS. 5, 6, the whole section of the cylinder 8 is covered with the exception of that part relative to the small cylinder 11. The plates 22, 25 are fixed by means of a bolt 31 which in addition to passing through two laminates lying above the laminate 23 it also passes through the leg 26 of the plate 25 at the notch 32 and screws into the threaded hole in the plate 22. For rendering the plates inaccessible from the outside, an embodiment is possible In which the plates remain totally hidden. As shown in FIG. 7, the plate 34 has a shorter leg whereas the recess 35 which houses it is closed. In order to give the plate 34 a smaller disengagement stroke, this stroke being mainly determined by the presence of the expanded section of the cylinder 8, a loop 36 is provided in the plate 34 of width equal to that of said expanded section and of a lesser depth, so that if the plate 34 is only slightly moved it is possible to withdraw the cylinder 8.

It will be understood that the plates can be shaped in a different manner to those illustrated, according to the contour of the cylinder used and the dimensions of the padlock body. In the carrying out of the invention the plates do not require particular attention during machining.

It is sufficient that their thickness is some hundredths of a millimetre less than that of the laminates so that they can slide freely in the provided guide recesses.

In case of blockages due to the penetration of dust, dirt or the like, it is always possible to move the plates by means of a suitable tool introduced into the cavity 5.

We claim:

1. A padlock with a laminated body and removable cylinder housed in a cavity in said body and restrained in said cavity by acting on fixing means accessible through the introduction hole for the opening end of the padlock shackle, comprising at least one plate housed in a recess formed in at least one of said laminates adjacent to the laminate which forms the side for insertion of the key, said plate being movable from a position in which the cylinder is disengaged to a position in which it is restrained, and lockable in this latter position by acting on said fixing means.

2. A padlock as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plate is provided of substantially Y conformation, its fork portion acting on the edge of the cylinder and its shank portion provided with a threaded bore into which is screwed a fixing bolt introduced along the cavity provided for the introduction of the opening end of the padlock shackle.

3. A padlock as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plate is provided with a ring portion of internal contour substantially as that of the cylinder which partially engages with the edge of said cylinder, and a shank portion for securing a fixing bolt introduced through the hole pro vided for the introduction of the opening end of the padlock shackle.

4. A padlock as claimed in claim I wherein there is provided one plate of Y conformation and one having a ring portion, the shank portions of said plates lying superimposed and fixable by a bolt passing through the cavity provided for the introduction of the opening end of the padlock shackle.

5. A padlock as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plate of Y conformation comprises a loop at the throat of the fork portion, a section of said loop of width equal to the expanded section of the cylinder but of lesser depth extending into the shank portion, the length of said shank being such as to allow its movement in an enclosed recess in the corresponding laminate.

l t l i l 

1. A padlock with a laminated body and removable cylinder housed in a cavity in said body and restrained in said cavity by acting on fixing means accessible through the introduction hole for the opening end of the padlock shackle, comprising at least one plate housed in a recess formed in at least one of said laminates adjacent to the laminate which forms the side for insertion of the key, said plate being movable from a position in which the cylinder is disengaged to a position in which it is restrained, and lockable in this latter position by acting on said fixing means.
 2. A padlock as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plate is provided of substantially Y conformation, its fork portion acting on the edge of the cylinder and its shank portion provided with a threaded bore into which is screwed a fixing bolt introduced along the cavity provided for the introduction of the opening end of the padlock shackle.
 3. A padlock as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plate is provided with a ring portion of internal contour substantially as that of the cylinder which partially engages with the edge of said cylinder, and a shank portion for securing a fixing bolt introduced through the hole provided for the introduction of the opening end of the padlock shackle.
 4. A padlock as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is provided one plate of Y conformation and one having a ring portion, the shank portions of said plates lying superimposed and fixable by a bolt passing through the cavity provided for the introduction of the opening end of the padlock shackle.
 5. A padlock as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plate of Y conformation comprises a loop at the throat of the fork portion, a section of said loop of width equal to the expanded section of the cylinder but of lesser depth extending into the shank portion, the length of said shank being such as to allow its movement in an enclosed recess in the corresponding laminate. 